1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile buildup apparatus for transporting, supporting and protecting an upper stage rocket and a mated spacecraft (collectively referred to as the "space vehicle payload") between and in the various assembly, testing and ground integration facilities through which it must pass prior to payload being loaded into the cargo bay of an orbiter of NASA's Space Transportation System ("STS") and transported into space. The invention supports the buildup, assembly and checkout of the upper stage and its mating with a spacecraft. The invention also provides for the transport of the mated upper stage and spacecraft to a processing facility for testing and integration into the cargo bay of the orbiter.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The STS orbiter orbits the earth at a nominal orbit of 160 nautical miles and provides a platform from which a spacecraft can be launched into either geostationary orbit (22,300 nautical miles) or planetary orbit by means of an upper stage rocket mated to the spacecraft. Before being inserted into the cargo bay of the orbiter, however, the space vehicle payload must be assembled, inspected, tested, serviced, mated, retested off-line and then transported to the Vertical Processing Facility ("VPF") at Kennedy Space Center ("KSC") where it undergoes cargo integration and testing that simulates all payload interfaces with the orbiter. Since the space vehicle payload includes explosives and other potentially hazardous materials, this work is conducted in a Hazardous Processing Facility ("HPF") at the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility ("SAEF-2") a Kennedy Space Center. After processing at the Hazardous Processing Facility is completed, the space vehicle payload is transported to the Vertical Payload Facility for installation in the Vertical Payload Handling Device which is used to simulate the orbiter cargo bay for integrated testing.
In previous launches, the processing of space vehicle payloads at the Hazardous Processing Facility was conducted by means of support structures and scaffolding that were erected on the floor each time a space vehicle payload was being processed. Once the spacecraft and upper stage were mated, the payload was hoisted from the support structure and scaffolding and then loaded on and secured to a transport vehicle for the trip to the Vertical Payload Facility. The support structure and scaffolding were subsequently removed from the Hazardous Processing Facility in order to accommodate other missions.
In the past, the typical space vehicle payload weighed about 7,000 pounds and took up only a quarter of the orbiter's cargo bay. The relatively light weight and small size of the space vehicle payload simplified handling and assembly. Moreover, in the past there has been a substantial time (e.g., several months) between launches of the orbiter. Thus, competition for use of the Hazardous Processing Facility has been minimal, and there has been adequate time for the assembly and disassembly of support structure and scaffolding for space vehicle each payload.
Present plans for use of the orbiter differ substantially from the previous pattern of use. For example, it is anticipated that the orbiter will carry much heavier and larger space vehicle payloads. In addition, there will be a shorter time between launches in order to permit the STS to make more frequent flights and to compete more effectively with alternative launch vehicles, such as the Ariane Expendable Launch Vehicle of the European Space Agency, for the launch of commercial payloads.
If the weight of the space vehicle payload attached to a single upper stage is increased from 7,000 pounds to 43,000 pounds, the task of assembly and disassembly of the necessary support and scaffolding becomes more difficult and time consuming. In addition, if the time between launches is reduced from months to days, the prior art system becomes less economical and efficient.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an easily transportable, multifacility compatible apparatus from which all assembly, testing and ground integration operations can be performed, thereby eliminating the need for dedicated hardware in a specific facility for each space vehicle payload.
It is also an object of this invention to transport this apparatus between and in the various assembly, testing and ground integration facilities in an environmentally controlled and contamination controlled environment.